Jan 18, 2011

For the meat and potato lover, this soup is for you. Hearty soups like this are exactly what I love about South American cuisine. A nourishing one pot meal, typically served with aji and avocado on the side.

This soup uses cooked quinoa, which is a South American seed which has become very popular in North America lately. Quinoa is very high in protein, and contains all 9 essential amino acids, lysine, phosphorous, copper, iron and magnesium. It's gluten-free and you can find it at any healthy food store, Amazon, Trader Joe's and even at your local supermarket. Click here for the recipe to cook basic quinoa.

By now I don't think I have to tell you just how much I love Latin American cuisine. It's the ultimate comfort food to me, so I am happy to share some wonderful South American dishes with you. This dish was adapted from Laylita's Recipes, her blog features many wonderful Ecuadorean dishes.

The key to making a good beef soup is letting the beef simmer until it gets soft, the longer the better so the meat is tender. If you have a pressure cooker, this will cook in half the time and the meat will be incredibly soft. I love my pressure cooker, probably more than my crock pot but I wrote the directions assuming you don't own one. I recommend buying one, it's great for making stews and beans in half the time, and the flavors really get into the food. I own a 6-quart Presto which is perfect for making a pot of beans. Lot's of you are asking me which I own, click here to see.

Saute oil in a large pot, add scallions and garlic and sauté until soft over medium heat, about 3 minutes. Add tomato, cumin, sazon with achiote, 1/4 cup cilantro and cook another 2 minutes. Add beef, water, bullion, carrot, bell pepper, salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low about 1-1/2 hours, until meat is tender.

127 comments
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I'm going to do it in the crockpot and I'm just going to throw it all in for about 6-7 hours on low. You could precook the Quinoa if you'd like and either add it later as you dish it out, or throw it into the crockpot at the end and turn the crockpot off. I plan on just washing the raw Quinoa and then throwing it in the crockpot to cook. I'm also going to put the potatoes in the whole time. I do this with a beef stew we make and it the potatoes are perfect.

I do have a pressure cooker & only cook 2 things it in... beets and a family dish called porcupine meatballs (basically meatballs with rice & onions in a tomato soup sauce). If I were to make this in my pressure cooker - do you have any tips? Just when it says "cover & simmer for 1-1/2 hours" - i'm assuming I put the lid on & once it starts "shimmying" then I cook it for 45 minutes? (or is that too long to cook it?) Thanks!

Wow gena, this looks Amazing I love my pressure cooker. I make chicken noodle soup in mine. The pressure cooker adds so much flavor it's awesome. I'm thrilled to see so many recipes here that I can use it for not to mention stews sauces ... The list is end less........I could. Not live without mine . I love it that you answer feed back most sites are to busy. Thank you so much for all you do. Your food looks wonderful.. I Have 4 recipes I'm starting with I'm so excited!

I think I will start a section for pressure cookers, I see a few of you own them. They really help cook long simmering food in half the time. I would not do this in a slow cooker, personally... I just threw an entire batch of soup out that was similar. Slow cooker works great for some recipes and not so great for others.

Pressure cooker- when you add meat, lock pressure cooker and cook 35 minutes on low, then shut stove off. When the pressure escapes on it's own (about 10 minutes) and unlocks, remove cover and continue with the recipe without locking the lid.

The sazon you should find in the Spanish aisle of your supermarket. Goya makes it as well but I prefer badia because there's no MSG. Or if you find ground anatto or achiote, you can use that. If not... Paprika will do!

Hi Gina, I absolutely love your blog and have been cooking my way through it since I found it 2 months ago. I love the simplicity and flavor your recipes offer. Please keep them coming. My question is around the ingrediate that has popped up in two recipes lately. Sazon, is it necessary? I try to avoid MSG and from a little quick research it appears these seasonings contain MSG or at least something similar. Will I risk the integrity of the recipe if I don't add it, and is there a natural substitute? Thank you!

This is simmering on the stove as I write. Smells delish! I made a few adjustments - instead of a chopped tomato, I used a 8 oz. can of petite cut tomatoes and instead of a bullion cube and water, I subbed beef broth. Thanks Gina! One question - I checked Laylita's site and she serves it with "aji"...what is "aji"?

My mom had a really oldPressure cooker I'd watch it spit and sputter and litterly scared me to death but any of the new digital one are awesome.....Iv never had a problem... Qvc has some good ones.... I need to figure out how to put my name on this ....jewel

This soup turned out so delicious! Very flavorful and filling. I couldn't find the Badia Sazon spice, so used paprika as directed in the comments section. It came out great! I will be making this again. Thanks Gina!

Hello Gina! I am so excited to have found your blog! I decided to try WW for the first time ever! I like the new online tools and points system, BUT it is SO FRUSTRATING in trying to come up with menu ideas or just inputting new foods all the time! I have several recipes printed to try from your blog! This will be dinner tomorrow! Now for the PRESSURE COOKER'S although they are handy (dangerous, noisy) I will be making this delicious soup in my Le Creuset Dutch Oven! Hint..hint...hint...why waste time with a pressure cooker?? :) Thanks Gina!

I used stew meat because it was quite a bit cheaper. I tossed it in about 1 tbs flour, and seared it before I sauteed the onions and garlic. When I added the onion and garlic to the pan to had to add another tsp of olive oil. Other than that I followed the recipe to a T. It was amazing!!

I made this tonight and thought it was very good. I do have one question though. The recipe calls for you to add a cup of cooked quinoa with the potatos and cook 25 minutes. My quinoa basically exploded in the 25 minutes. Can you add the quinoa raw and let it cook in the broth or add the cooked quinoa at the very end so it keeps it's form?

So, I made this tonight, but substituted Orzo for Quinoa (i know the points will go up). They did not have any at the store I went to, but the soup was delicious! I served this with the Cornmeal Cake.....boy, it was great. I'm taking some for lunch tomorrow too!!Tiffani

Gina, this is my first time to the website. I am getting a little bored with WW as this is my 4th go round :(( still haven't gotten my baby weight off). This recipe is awesome. I served this to my 2 year old and it was a HIT!!!!I will definitely make this again and share your recipe. I did it almost exactly how you said except I was missing a seasoning(the Badia), but even without it, I loved it.

I made this tonight, my first time every having quinoa. It was wonderful! I wasn't paying attention and cooked a cup of quinoa and added all of it instead of adding a cup of cooked quinoa. It was still tasty, although not much of a soup that way. My husband has asked me to add this to our regular meal rotation. My one year old approved as well.

I just made this with a few tweaks to accommodate what I have on hand - venison hind steak for the meat, 1 can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies for the tomato/bell peppers, 1 yellow onion for the scallions. Used the pressure cooker and it's delicious!

This was so good. I don't even like beef soup and I couldn't get enough. I didn't know I liked quinoa! Got it at Costco for $7 for a huge bag so I'll be making this again and again. Only problem I had was I didn't know if I was to add 1 Cup of quinoa AFTER it was cooked. After reading and rereading, I decided it was 1 Cup after cooking, but it was so skimpy and didn't look like your photo so I added the rest. Once it cooked more, it blew up :) so it was loaded. Still tasted great!

Made this last night and it was DEE-LISH!!! Thanks so much for all your yummy, healthy recipes, Gina! Your site has been helping me lose my post-pregnancy pounds without having to cook an entirely separate meal for the rest of my family - they're eating and loving your dishes right alongside of me. And I don't think they even realize that they're healthy because they're so full of flavor! ;) THANK YOU!

I will be making this for overnight guests this weekend. Can't wait! I am not even trying it out first - lol! My father is Colombian and this recipe is so similar to soups he makes weekly (rice instead of quinoa of course). I can't wait to have a WW friendly substitute! Comfort of home without the extra fat. Yay!

I couldn't wait. I made this last night along with your cream of broccoli soup (I had CSA veggies to use up). They are both amazing. My husband had two helpings of this soup and couldn't say enough good things about it. Which is huge since he loves my dad's version so much. Thank you !

Made this tonight and it was simply amazing! Everyone loved it!!I added extra cumin and some tomato paste to increase the depth a bit. So good and hearty and healthy for the cold Winter days!! A one-pot meal...just add crusty bread or salad! Delicious!!

Bookmarking this for the weekend! I don't have the exotic spices though, I think I'm gonna have to go with your recommendation to substitute with paprika. How different or far off will the flavours be though?

Gina and others - I have an electric pressure cooker and I'm sure going to give this a try, I think the challenging part will be adding the potatoes and quinoa at the end as I do not have a "simmer" setting once the pressure cooking is done.

My main concern is that the potatoes get soft enough on the "keep warm" setting, so what I think I'll do is use canned potatoes and let it set with it all in there for the required amount of time so it acts as a thickening agent still. (Tip: instant potato flakes can be used to thicken in dishes like this when in a pinch.) I'll let you know how it goes.

Fantastic! I made this the other night and had leftovers for 3 days. Once again this is a wonderful soup. You never disappoint! I did use one Knorr homestyle Stock Concentrated instead of the bullion. Also added mushrooms. We do not eat much beef so I will have to wait awhile before making it again. I shared with a friend and she is off to make it for her family. The quinoa has such a nice pop --love it! I might try this with chicken, using chicken stock of course.

Made this for dinner tonight. So hearty and flavorful! I've been looking for ways to get more quinoa in our diet since my kids don't like eating it as a side dish. This is a perfect example. WONDERFUL good! :)

I found that the beef cooked within about 30 mins or so rather than the suggested 1-1/2 hours. I made 1/2-inch cubes of angus. I also found that the potatoes needed to go in sooner and maybe took a little longer than 25 mins. I suppose it just depends on how small everything is cut. But I think the potatoes would be fine to add with the beef and the rest of the ingredients. Is there a reason it's suggested to wait until after the beef is done?

I made this for dinner last night and it was absolutely fantastic!! Thanks Gina. I really don't know what I would do without your recipes, girl. They always rescue me when I'm having a block with what to what to make. Plus I love love love that the points are calculated. Bonus!

Penzey's Spices carry Annatto Seeds. A wonderful source for spices and a great company. There may be a store near you or mail/email order. I have ordered from them multiple times and they usually give you a sample of another spice with your order.

I cooked the soup in the crockpot on high for 4.5 hours and it was phenomenal. I added some spinach I had around but that's all I changed from the ingredient list. Amazing! Your recipes never let me down.

Made this tonight. My extremely picky 4 year old ate 2 helpings with sour cream on top! My husband and I loved it as well. The flavor was surprisingly bold yet not spicy. Yummy! I need your cookbook :D

yum! added a squeeze of lime juice and pinch of cayenne pepper after I served it. even more yum! I did not cook the quinoa ahead of time. Instead, soak quinoa in hot water, drain and put it in along with potatoes. Finally, thanks for the hint on paprika instead of Badia Sazon with Annato. Worked really well! Thank you!

I tried this recipe last night, its filling, delicious, and amazing! I can not even believe how good this recipe is. I was a little skeptical, never had quinoa before nor did I know what it was. Followed the recipe as instructed and now it is a family fav!!!!!!! THANK U!

Gina, I made this vegan last week using Gardein Beef(less) Tips instead of the beef and it turned out amazing. I'm posting the vegan version on my web site giving you credit for the recipe. Thanks for a delicious soup.

I just made this for dinner tonight and it was fantastic!!! I have made so many of your recipes Gina, thanks so much for keeping this site going. If you ever decide to do a cookbook, I will certainly be buying it!

I just got everything to make this soup but them realized that the sazon I purchased is saxon tropical and not with achiote. I'm not sure what the difference is--do you think I should not use the one I purchased? Thanks!!

Given the fact that nearly every dinner we eat each week comes from your site, Gina... I can't believe I'm saying this:I hated this. I couldn't even finish a couple of bites of it. My husband said it "was decent," but not something he wanted to include in our rotations.

I don't think I messed up the recipe - I cook your recipes daily, so I'm used to following them & even adding my own twists sometimes - I think it's just the combination of flavors that didn't work well for me. Cooking with cilantro is always a tricky proposition with my taste buds, this just happened to be one that didn't work out for me. I wanted to love this, it sounded like excellent comfort food. It just wasn't for us.

The only reason I'm even posting is because I figure there are probably others who have tried it and didn't enjoy it much, and I really wanted to let them know that they're not alone. Some flavor combinations just don't work for certain people - but I can say from extensive experience with your recipes that most people will be able to find dozens upon dozens of OTHER recipes on your site that they're going to love as much as my family does! I don't want anyone to "give up" if this one recipe isn't for them. (Try out the Stuffed Pepper Soup, for example... now that's to die for!)

We don't really eat red meat so I subbed the beef for chicken and used chicken broth instead. It's cooking on the stove right now and smells divine. The sample I just tasted is very promising. So happy I found your site, this is the second recipe of yours I have made this week and it is only Tuesday.

So GOOD but I did the same thing with the Quinoa - put 1 cup uncooked instead of 1 cup cooked. CAme out like a stew, but still good. Left out the cilantro, put a couple of extra carrots for the kiddos, used beef broth cuz I didn't have a boullion cube - the rest the same and delicious! LOVE Gina - she rocks - makes my life so much easier!

GINA! You are amazing! . I absolutely love how you add the Calories as well. :) Thanks.With this one I had to double it up. Because with every meal I make I never have enough for lunch! So I need some left over. I know this is a stupid question but even as I double everything the calories wouldn't change per serving right?

This soup is a.may.zing. I subbed in red bell pepper, smoked paprika, and diced tomatoes from a can. (Oh and I used purple and yellow carrots for funsies.)SO! GOOD!Thank you. This soup makes me feel like I'm a good cook. When in reality I'm just really good at picking and following recipes. :)

Just tried this yesterday and it is my new favorite beef stew recipe! Didn't have the sazon so subbed paprika as suggested above. I upped the quantities of everything a little and also added string beans (cut into bite-sized pieces) and corn cut off the cob. Hearty, tasty, and healthy, love it!

I thought this recipe might be a bit thicker and spicier than it turned out. I improvised a bit with the pressure cooker and just put everything in at the beginning (after the initial sauteeing/browning bit)... nothing was mushy and everything was soft, but it was a bit more liquid-y than I expected and it was quite a bit milder than I expected. I might have used a little less cilantro than you did but that was really the only change on this recipe, though I guess my sazon didn't have achiote (as I didn't find any) but rather had turmeric. Any suggestions for making it a bit more flavorful? More sazon or something else?

I made this soup a few weeks ago and it is FANTASTIC!! Just curious to know why you suggest simmering it for 1 1/2 hours and Laylita's recipe says only 40 minutes. I'm making this soup as we "speak" and cannot wait to eat it - hence my silly question!

I was confused by the bullion too...which is why I am on comments. I'm by no means the world's greatest cook, but I'm confused by the proportions, like the 2 Tbsp of yellow pepper (waste the rest?) and the 1\2 of beef, which of course it's impossible, at least around here, to find that small of a package, so I plan to double it? But not sure how much bullion? I did make the chicken/butternut/quinoa soup/stew, and it was flat out awesome, one of the best things I've ever made! So I am anxious to try this one out, but would like to know about the bullion going in.